Improvement in former for hoop-skirts



" NITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES C. WILSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT I N FORMER FOR HOOP-SKIRTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 102.635, dated May 3,1870; antedate( April 18, 1870.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CrrAnLEs G. WiLsoN, of Baltimore, Maryland, haveinvented an Improved Adjustable Form for Hoop-Skirts 5 and I do herebydeclare that the following is a clear and exact description thereof,reference being had to the drawings making part of this specification,and to the letters or" reference marked thereon.

In the drawings, Figure I is a side view, and Figs. II and III detailviews, of lparts'of the same.

My invention consists in so constructing a form for the manufacture ofhoop-skirts that it may be quickly and easily adjusted to enable anysize or shapevof skirt to be made upon it.

In construction I fornrmy device of a shaft, B, firmly attached to thebase-block or bottom of the form K at one of its ends, and having theother let into the band-block D, so that the waist or band block mayrevolve upon it.

I construct my waist-block of two separate parts, each 'part consistingof two pieces of wood or" semicircular shape joined together, so that aportion of the lower part of one piece of the blockwill act asbreak-joints when the block is pushed open to increase the size of thewaistband to be manufactured. These shoulders, together' with a slide,M, on the top of the waist-block D, and rigidly attached to one half ofit, keep the other halt` from working in its place. The slide M runs ina slotted piece of metal, T, attached to the other half of block, and isregulated by a thumb-screw, K.

Hinged at their ends to the lower part of the circumference of theband-block D are the ribs C, as many as are necessary, and so hinged asto move in a direction from the center of the band-block outward.

These ribs C are, near their lower ends, hinged to braces or strips F,which strips are hinged at their other or upper ends to a sleeve, E,sliding on the center shaft, B, and regulated by a thumb-screw throughits neck. The strips F may either have slots in their ends whereattached to their ribs at g, or may have slots in the center of them, inboth cases regulated by a set-screw. Near the lower end of each rib Iplace ahook, G, with two prongs, attached to a cord which runs down therib through staples for guides until fastened by being wound around ascrew in the end of the rib.

In operation the adjustable band-block may be drawn out to makeany-sized waistband for skirts without its being necessary to increasethe circumference of the bottom of the form, and by simply moving thesleeve E upon the shaft B up or down the size of the skirt is uniformlyand evenly increased or diminished, while the relative position of suchrib may be changed by the slot and screw at g, thus allow ing everypossible variation of size and shape to be made without loss of time.

The braces F, ribs C, and shaft B may be made out of either metal orwood, though wood is sufficiently strong and much cheaper.

NOW, having described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent. is

The combination of the hinged ribs O, adjustable waist-block D, slidingsleeve E, hinged and adjustable braces F, and shaft B, the parts beingarranged and constructed as and fior the purpose herein shown.

C. C. WILSON.

Vitnesses:

R. F. HYDE, g EDM. F.- BROWN.

